“The Office of Fair Trading called them ‘price shocks’ and the failure of petrol sales to rebound as strongly as they did last year suggests that drivers remain stunned even when prices on forecourts go down.”

He went on: “Unless the ongoing EU investigation into fuel pricing, called for by the AA two years ago, can uncover systematic manipulation of oil and fuel prices, the drivers’ only defence would be a transparent wholesale price.

“However, motoring families are denied any warning of impending surges in pump prices and the ability to brace their budgets against the impact. They respond by cutting back on car use and undermining Treasury fuel duty receipts. The Government’s new policy unit needs to look at this quickly.”